Re: [rp-ml] 3D scanning of insects

From: Andrew Werby <awerby_at_computersculpture.com>
Date: Mon Jun 22 2009 - 21:10:33 EEST

I've heard of this being done with
a giant X-ray machine - here's the
article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7324564.stm

I'm not sure if they're taking on
more projects like this, but it's
something to consider.

If you don't have access to this
sort of machinery, then you might
try doing it the more conventional
way: encasing the specimen in
plastic, then removing a very thin
slice at a time, photographing each
slice through a microscope. Tracing
around the outside of the specimen
(or whatever pieces of it are
visible) will give you a series of
contour lines, which can then be
"lofted" in a 3d CAD program to
reconstruct the insect's exterior.

If you have access to a CAT
scanner, this can be done more
automatically, without the need to
physically remove slices of
material - but I'm not sure these
machines resolve images finely
enough to work in this case.

Please let us know what you end up
using, and how it works out, okay?

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

Javier.Munguia@upc.edu wrote:
> Dear list
>
> A colleague of mine is working on an art-science Project and one of the
> interests is to perform a precise 3D acquisition of a ?head louse?, a
> scary insect when zoomed in, for a no less scary project: P
>
> Do you know any 3D scanning technique or apparatus that offers that
> precision (bug size between 1-4mm) or is it only possible by micro
> tomography and other medical type techniques?
> All answers off/ online welcome :D we´re loated in Barcelona, Spain
>
> Regards
>
> Javier
>
>
>
> Javier Munguía
> Technical University of Catalonia
> Depto de Ingeniería de Proyectos
> AV. Diagonal 647 Edificio ETSEIB
> Planta 10, Barcelona
> javier.munguia@upc.edu
>
>
>
Received on Mon Jun 22 21:06:59 2009

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